A New Era
by justthisguy
Summary: Ash has turned into a Pikachu again...but this time, things are different. Once again, Ash is drawn into the center of an old legend...but a new and powerful evil has reared its head. Will Ash emerge victorious, and will he be able to change back?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at making a fic, so here goes.**

**This is an experiment of sorts – If writing this turns out to be enjoyable to me, and the story itself turns out to be enjoyable for the readers, then I will continue to update the story. Otherwise, I won't.**

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

* * *

"**text" is spoken language**

**'text' is thoughts**

**"**_**text" **_**is translated pokéspeech**

* * *

**A New Era, Chapter 1**

* * *

"What an amazing match this is turning out to be!" the announcer boomed. "Neither side is willing to give up. After that last double KO, both trainers have only one Pokémon remaining! Which Pokémon will they choose?"

Sixteen-year-old Ash Ketchum, one of the participants in the battle, was in the middle of a long championship fight. Thousands of people gathered to see him defend his title as the Pokémon Master. Thousands more came to see if the challenger could take that crown away.

"You ready, Pikachu?" Ash said to his loyal companion.

"Pika!" The mouse Pokémon rushed onto the field. "The champion, Ash has selected Pikachu as his final Pokémon." The announcer said.

"Very well then." Ash's opponent said. "Gengar, let's go!" The ghost Pokémon emerged from his ball. "Gengar!" "The challenger, Katherine, has selected Gengar as her final Pokémon."

The referee looked the two Pokémon over. "Begin!"

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" "Gengar. Shadow Ball. Now." Both attacks collided with each other with full force. The resulting explosion knocked both Pokémon back, but not to the ground.

"Now, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!"

Katherine laughed. "Do you really think that attack is going to work? This is a ghost Pokémon, you know. Geez, and I thought the Pokémon Master would know such a thing."

"I know that." Ash snapped back, as Pikachu took off. "Now use your speed for an Iron Tail!"

Pikachu raced up to Gengar, twisting his body and slamming his now glowing tail onto Gengar. "Hmm…not bad." Katherine said with a smirk.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the stands, all of Ash's old friends had come to watch the fight. "This is an intense match," said Max. "More so than his usual fights."

"I'll say," said May.

"I'm so proud of him…-sniff-" Deliah sobbed.

"Hmmph." Gary mumbled. "Out of all the people who could have become the Pokémon Master, it just HAD to be Ashy-boy." It was quite obvious that despite their recent truce, Gary was still quite jealous of Ash.

"Go, Ash! He's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!"

"SHUT UP!" Gary screamed at his cheerleaders. Everyone else sweatdropped.

'Oh boy…here we go again…' Misty thought to herself.

* * *

Gengar was obviously fazed by the attack, but he still held his ground.

"Now, Gengar." Katherine said. "Confuse Ray." Gengar shot out a little yellow beam that raced towards Pikachu. He tried to dodge, but the beam hit him anyway. Pikachu, slightly disoriented, noticed that there were now three Gengar on the field at the same time. He charged at one without a word from Ash, and promptly rammed into the side of the battlefield.

"Oh no! Pikachu!" Ash cried out.

Katherine just laughed. "Now to make things even more interesting. Not to mention fun. Double Team!" At once, Gengar split into many images of himself, surrounding Pikachu. The poor mouse, who was already in a confused state, now became even more so.

"Shadow Ball again." All of the Gengars began to charge up a black ball of energy. Pikachu didn't know what to do, and neither did Ash. While trying to dodge all of the balls in his confused state, the ball sent by the real Gengar managed to hit Pikachu, sending him flying. He landed very close to Ash; the mouse was obviously in a great deal of pain.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted.

"Chu…" Pikachu muttered as he slowly got to his feet.

'Pikachu…please…I'm not going to give up…so that means you're not going to give up, either. Please, Pikachu…'

Then, Pikachu suddenly snapped out of his confusion, and looked as ready as ever.

"Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

"Piiikaaaachuuuuu!" Pikachu shouted as the lightning raced towards Gengar and his copies. Gengar and Katherine looked equally surprised as the attack hit the real Gengar. The ghost fell down, but got back up.

'How did Pikachu break out of his confusion so quickly?' Katherine thought to herself. 'He may be the One…'

Ash was about to tell Pikachu to use another Thunderbolt, but Katherine held up her hand, stopping him. "Wait."

"Huh?" Ash replied, a little confused.

"Pika?" said Pikachu, who was now trying to understand what was now happening between the two trainers.

Katherine seemed to be pondering something. "I understand that you are very close with Pikachu. Is this true?"

"Yes, of course." Ash said.

"And is it also true that your Pikachu does not like to be held inside Pokéballs?"

"Yes, but why are you asking these questions now?"

"Because," Katherine answered with a sneer, "It is time to test the bonds of your friendship."

"Uh…what do you mean?" Ash said.

"You'll see soon enough. Gengar! Curse!" As Gengar's eyes lit up, Pikachu began to cry out in pain.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried. He then winced. He knew that the only way that Curse could be removed from a Pokémon was either from fainting or being recalled back into its Pokéball. But he would never put Pikachu back in its ball – he had returned it to Professor Oak's lab long ago. In addition, since Pikachu was his last Pokémon, he could not cure Pikachu of the curse without losing or forfeiting the match. Ash glared angrily at Katherine. "How could you do this?" he said.

"I told you already. This is a test." Katherine simply replied.

"Here? In front of all these people?" Ash blurted. "Out of all the places you could have chosen to test me and Pikachu, why here?"

"I can't tell you that." Katherine smirked.

Ash growled. Then he looked down at Pikachu, He was still writhing in pain.

'Pikachu…please…don't go out now…I need you…'

"Pi….ka…chu?" Pikachu managed to mutter.

Ash nodded. A look of determination crossed his face. He turned his cap backwards. He did not take a glance off Katherine. "Show her no mercy."

Suddenly, Pikachu felt a newfound power wash over him – something that hadn't happened in a long time. Pikachu got up and was ready to go.

"Now, Pikachu! THUNDER!"

Katherine smiled quietly. 'I knew it.' Then, she yelled: "Gengar – hold your position!"

"Gen?" said Gengar, confused at his trainer's odd request.

"Don't question me, just do it."

"Gar…" Gengar sighed as it stood still, waiting for the lightning bolt to hit home. It did so, and Gengar went down for the count.

"Gengar is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! The winner of the match is the champion, Ash!"

The crowd cheered.

Ash was about to do his victory dance – the same one he always did – but he stopped. Pikachu was lying down on the battlefield.

Katherine smiled. 'Of course. He is the One.' She reached into her pocket and grabbed a crystal. She began to talk into it: "Master, I have found him."

* * *

"Wow." said all of Ash's friends. They were shocked at what had just happened on the field.

"I can't believe what I just saw!" Max said.

"You say that every time Ash wins in a battle, Max." May said.

"I know, sis – it's just that I still can't get used to seeing how Ash manages to pull off victory after victory like that!"

"You have a point there, little brother."

"Hey! In case you haven't noticed, I'm not so little anymore! In fact, in another year, I will be bigger than you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Will you two stop talking?" Brock said. "Now, let me try and figure out what happened here. Normally, Curse should have weakened Pikachu over time, making it harder and harder for said him battle effectively. However, despite this, Pikachu managed to unleash that devastating Thunder attack. So that means either Ash somehow managed to remove the curse without putting Pikachu back into its Pokéball, or…"

Brock then noticed Pikachu lying on the dirt, motionless.

'…or maybe it's still there…'

"Or...what? What do you mean, Brock?" Prof. Oak asked.

"Look at Pikachu, Professor. Do you see a marking on Pikachu somewhere that suggests that he might still have the curse?"

"Let me see." Oak took out a pair of binoculars. "Hmm… I don't see anyth- wait. I think see a skull-shaped mark on his neck."

"That means the curse is still afflicting Pikachu. That's disconcerting. Also, why did Katherine tell her Gengar to hold its position when that Thunder was coming? It doesn't make sense…"

As if right on cue, a windstorm started blowing into the stadium.

* * *

Ash could barely keep himself upright in the ferocious gusts. He held on to Pikachu so that the mouse would not be blown away. Suddenly, Ash could make out a couple of pink lights in front of him. The lights converged into each other until there was a giant pink blob of light directly in front of him. When the blob reached its full size, the wind stopped.

'Hello, Ash.' said a voice in Ash's mind.

'What the?' Ash thought. 'Who's speaking to me?'

'Who else would it be?' The voice said again.

Ash couldn't believe it. 'I must be dreaming. I'm imagining that this pink blob, which happens to know my name, is talking to me. And through my mind, no less.'

'You aren't dreaming. It is talking to you. And through your mind, too.'

Naturally, Ash got freaked out. "What's going on?"

'This was a test,' the voice said, 'to see if you are really the One. And you passed.'

A small pink bolt of energy suddenly passed from the blob to Pikachu. The skull mark disappeared.

'Wait a minute…The One? But I'm already the Chosen One!'

'You are still the Chosen One, no doubt about that. That, however, is a different legend. You are also the One, destined to lead us to a new era – a better world for all Pokémon.'

Pikachu woke up. Ash, temporarily forgetting about the pink blob, embraced the small yellow mouse.

"Pikapi…" said Pikachu.

"I'm so happy that you're alright, Pikachu."

"Chu…" Pikachu then noticed the pink blob directly in front of both of them. "Chu pika?"

"What did you say, Pikachu?" He then looked up and saw the blob. "Oh yea…"

'You done?' The voice said, with a bit of impatience in its "tone."

Ash nodded, and then pondered something. 'Wait…you say that I'm involved with yet another legend?' Ash slowly muttered to himself so the blob wouldn't "hear": "Just how many legends am I involved with now? I've lost count…"

'Yes.'

'Why should I trust you?'

'You do not have a choice in the matter. And it is time.'

'Time? Time for what? What do you mean? Explai-'

Before Ash could finish his sentence, another pink energy beam, larger than the first, shot out from the blob and struck Ash. "Wait! What are you doing?" Ash yelled. The voice said nothing more, and the pink blob disappeared. The force of the beam knocked Ash to the ground. Ash then felt something strange happening to him. His body started to emit a white aura.

"Pikapi!?" Pikachu said, with concern in his voice. "Pika pika pichu?"

"I don't know what's happening to me, Pikachu."

Ash then screamed out in pain. His entire body then turned white, just as if a Pokémon was about to evolve. Then Ash's silhouette started to shrink. Pikachu watched in horror on what was happening to his master. The silhouette now began to change in shape as well. Despite feeling intense pain before the changes occurred, Ash felt nothing as he noticed himself actually changing. Soon after, the changing ceased, and the white glow dissipated. Ash, clearly disoriented, looked as his surroundings. Pikachu, who was now just as tall as Ash, stood right in front of his master, obviously in a state of shock. "Pikachu?" Ash said. "H-How did you get so big?"

"_Uh, Ash, you're a…"_ Pikachu started to say.

"Huh? How can I understand you, Pikachu?" Ash's eyes slowly widened as he realized what was going on. "Oh no…" He looked around at his body. His arms were short, stubby and yellow. He was covered with yellow fur. His hat was still on his head, but he also felt long, pointy ears right next to it. He looked back and saw a lightning-bolt shaped tail coming out of his rear end. He realized that he had turned into a Pikachu again.

But this time, all of people in the stadium had witnessed his transformation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'll try to update this story as much as I can.**

**However, since I am a college freshman, it may take me a while to do so, what with homework, tests, and the like.**

**Anyways, here's chapter 2!**

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

* * *

"text" is spoken language

'text' is thoughts

"_text"_ is translated pokéspeech

* * *

A New Era, Chapter 2

* * *

"I…I don't believe what I am seeing! The champion, Ash Ketchum, has transformed into a Pikachu! This is certainly a shocking turn of events!" the announcer said, his voice not as booming as it was before.

All around the stadium, people started talking with each other about the situation. Others began taking pictures. And others just stared at Ash. Among those staring at Ash were Misty, Brock, and all of Ash's other friends.

"Oh no…not again…" Misty and Brock said at the same time.

"What?" said Professor Oak. "You're saying that this happened before?"

"Sort of, professor." Misty tried to explain. "While Ash, Brock and I were traveling through the Johto region, we ran into a witch named Lily. She said that she could brew up a potion that could let Ash see into Pikachu's mind – but it backfired and turned him into a Pikachu."

"When did he change back?" asked May.

"The effect wore off in a day." replied Misty.

"Well then, why didn't we hear about this?" Professor Oak said.

"She turned Ash into a Pikachu in the middle of a forest." Brock said. "We were still in the forest when he changed back. Nobody except us and our Pokémon knew that it was him. The way he transformed was different, however. Lily's potion fumed out yellow smoke, and Ash was a Pikachu when it cleared. However, since this time, Ash turned into a Pikachu from a pink beam of energy, not a yellow cloud of smoke, I don't know when, not to mention if, he will turn back."

Everyone looked worried about Brock's explanation of the problem. Everyone except Gary, that is - he just didn't seem to care.

* * *

"What do we do now, Pikachu?" Ash said.

"_I don't know…"_

"I'm sure we'll find a way out of this one. We've always made our way out of events worse than this. I mean, Team Rocket never stopped us. Legendaries didn't stop us. So I'm not going to let this stop us either."

"_Enough with the speeches already, Ash. Let's just get out of here."_

"Agreed."

Before they got a chance to leave, however, they were startled to see someone jump from the stands onto the stadium. Despite dropping 25 feet, he raced towards the two electric mice without missing a stride.

"_Ash…I have a bad feeling about this…"_

"Me too, Pikachu."

The man rushed up to Ash and Pikachu. "I…must…have you!" He exclaimed, taking out a Pokéball.

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other.

"_RUN!"_

"I was about to say the same thing!"

As the two mice ran around the stadium trying to avoid their would-be capturer, Ash and Pikachu noticed to their horror that more people were jumping from the stands, also with Pokéballs in their hands.

"Oh crap." Ash muttered. "Trapped."

"_Ash! Grab my hand!"_

Ash did so. Pikachu then prepared to launch a Thunderbolt attack.

"Pikachu – are you sure this is a good idea?"

"_We don't have a choice here, Ash! Hold on!"_

As Pikachu unleashed the attack, Ash felt his energy draining away from him. 'Linking with Pikachu must have made his Thunderbolt stronger, but I don't know how much…longer… I can…take it…'

When the attack ceased, Ash noticed that many of the trainers had fallen down to the ground, unconscious. He didn't make a note of it for very long, however, because Ash fell down to the arena floor, out cold. Right before he lost consciousness as well, he felt something hit his head. Then, everything turned red.

"_Ash…no…"_ Pikachu then looked up and saw the trainer that caught Ash. _"Let him go now!"_ In a fit of rage, Pikachu lunged at the trainer. However, the trainer skillfully dodged.

"Fiesty little mongrel." The trainer said. "Golem! Let's rock!"

Pikachu resisted the urge to moan at the pun as he looked up at the Golem. Normally, Pikachu would be able to take on the Golem without too much difficulty despite the type disadvantage, but since Ash couldn't help this time, Pikachu knew he was in trouble. Thinking about what Ash would order him do in a situation like this, Pikachu rushed towards the Golem at a high speed. When he approached the rock, he jumped up and began to swing his now glowing tail.

"Golem! Grab him!" Golem did what he told, and was able to grab Pikachu's tail. "Good. Now, launch him out of here with a Seismic Toss!"

Golem swung Pikachu around in circles while still holding on to Pikachu's tail. The mouse knew that electric attacks wouldn't work on Pokémon like Golem, but he tried anyway. Golem, unaffected by the attack, continued to swing Pikachu around. Then, Golem let go of Pikachu, sending him high into the air. Katherine, who was staying out of the fray, saw Pikachu flying through the air and managed to catch him in her arms.

"Don't worry, Pikachu. You're going to be alright."

"Chu…"

Katherine then exited the stadium, taking Pikachu with her.

* * *

"How could they do such a thing?" May shouted.

"Calm down, May." Max said.

"How should I calm down? Ash has been caught in a Pokéball, Pikachu was thrown around like a children's toy, and was then taken away by the same trainer that Ash just beat!"

"For the last time, would you two PLEASE BE QUIET?" Professor Oak was beginning to lose his temper. After a while, he began to calm down. "Arguing isn't the best course of action right now."

"Then what do we do? We can't just leave both of them with those two." said Dawn.

"We'll split up, then." Oak said, standing up. "Misty, May, Max and Dawn, you four will follow Ash and his captor – while Brock, Gary, Deliah and I will try to go after Katherine and Pikachu."

Everyone nodded. Except one. "Wait!" Deliah said. "Max and the girls are going out in a dangerous situation without any adults! I should go with them!"

The four of them sweatdropped. "We'll be fine. Seriously. We're not little kids anymore."

"Alright..." Deliah said. "Fine, I guess."

"Ok. Let's go." Professor Oak said.

* * *

When Ash awoke, he found himself back in Pallet Town. However, he noticed to his horror that it was ablaze. All around him, he saw humans on the ground, dead. Wandering around, he saw the bodies of a few Pokémon as well – but the majority of the corpses were human. He gasped as he noticed a few bodies that looked familiar. He saw his mother's body, bloodied and battered. Next to her was Misty - her body treated in a similar manner. Brock's body was a little further away. 'My friends…dead.' As he looked carefully at the bodies, he noticed that he had blood on his paws…and it smelled fresh to his new Pikachu nose. He took another whiff at the blood - and realized it was not his. 'No…I couldn't have killed them…'

"_Are you all right, sir?"_

Ash turned around - and stared in shock at the sight. He noticed a Pikachu approaching him - but he could tell that this was not his loyal companion, due to the fact that:

1. This Pikachu had a tuft of fur on his head, like Ash.  
2. The Pikachu's voice was much rougher than his companion's voice.  
3. The Pikachu was holding a spear with a severed human head on it.

Looking behind the Pikachu, he noticed what seemed to be a Pokémon army. 'Those Pokémon must have done this...but why?' He was about to ponder the matter further, when he suddenly realized that the Pikachu had asked him a question. Ash nodded his head.

_"Good. Awaiting further orders, General."_ the Pikachu said to him.

* * *

Ash screamed. He hit his head on something hard. "Ow…what the…?"

Ash looked at his new surroundings. He found himself in a small, metal and spherical enclosure.

"Thank Arceus that was just a dream…" Ash muttered to himself. "Oh great. I'm in a Pokéball. I must have bumped my head when I woke. That explains my sudden headache…"

Suddenly, the ball began to get brighter. "Now what?" Ash said. He didn't have time to think, for the next thing he knew, he was outside of the ball.

Ash looked around at his new surroundings. He was standing inside a nice, comfortable house, surrounded by many toys. Ash turned around and saw a man looking at him, likely his capturer. He seemed to be fairly young, with blue eyes and brown hair. Ash growled at him. 'Why you...' he muttered to himself, trying to control his anger.

"Wait, wait! Hold up there, little guy. I'm not going to hurt you." the trainer said to him. "You're going to be safe here, little guy."

Ash's growling didn't stop. 'Little guy? Who does he think I am?'

"Don't worry. I won't use you to battle. I just want my girls to be happy when they see I've got a new pet for them."

"_PET? You're going to keep me as a PET_?" Ash yelled. 'Wait…did I just say that in Pikachu language? Awesome…yet disturbing at the same time...'

"Whoa, Whoa…calm down, Pikachu." He turned. "Girls, come over here! Daddy's got a surprise for you!"

Two girls came into the room – neither looked much older than 5 – but they weren't happy. They seemed concerned about something else.

"Daddy?" One of the girls said. "What are all of those people doing outside?"

"I don't know, sweetie… Hey – lookie here!" the trainer said, holding up Ash for the girls to see.

"A Pikachu! Yay!" the girls exclaimed.

"Now, Pikachu, before you can get adjusted to your new home, there are a few things we have to do first. You'll need to get fixed."

Ash gasped. 'Nothing but a pet…' He felt anger build inside of him - he imagined himself zapping his trainer to kingdom come. All of a sudden, Ash felt a surge of energy flow through him. Ash smiled and tried to concentrate on getting the energy out, but all that came out was a weak Thundershock. 'Well, it's better than nothing, I guess…' Ash thought to himself.

"Ouch! That does it. No more mister nice Thomas!" Thomas reached out his hand and tried to grab Ash – but he zipped away from the hand at lightning speed. 'Cool, I think I just learned Quick Attack.' Thomas lunged for Ash again. Again, Ash dodged. This continued for several minutes until Ash began to slow down.

"Good. He's getting tired."

Ash then used Quick Attack again – but this time, right at Thomas's stomach. Thomas staggered back a bit before Ash hit him with another Thundershock. The trainer fell down to the ground. He got back up quickly, though.

"Girls – leave me. You do not want to see this." The girls, now a bit scared of Ash, nodded and left. When they were gone, Thomas reached to his belt buckle and unsheathed a knife.

"_Are you crazy? You're going to kill me - or yourself - with that thing, you know!"_

Thomas's face cracked an evil grin. "You little fiend." He showed off some of his fresh burn marks he got from Ash's electricity. "You do realize you are worth more to me dead than alive now."

'Yep. He's crazy.' Thomas lunged at Ash with the knife. Ash barely managed to dodge. Grumbling, Thomas threw the knife at Ash. Fortunately, his aim was off, and it also managed to shatter a nearby window. 'Cool, a way out.' Ash ran to the broken window, but stopped. Outside the window, he saw an angry mob outside the house.

"There he is!" one of the mob members shouted, pointing at Ash. "Get him!"

'Oh no…not again…'

Ash retreated back into the house, only to come face to face with Thomas again. He lunged at Ash with a second knife in hand. Ash dodged the attack and, without any other route to take, went out of the window. Fortunately for Ash, the window was on the second floor, so the mob couldn't easily reach him. Ash began climbing his way to the roof. 'The mob will spot me…but at least I'm safe from him.'

Ash looked around outside. He noticed a forest on the other side of the house, away from the mob. He prepared himself, and then dashed off with Quick Attack and jumped into the forest. He ran for couple of minutes before stopping to catch his breath.

'Sweet – I've lost them! This is awesome! This is –'

Suddenly, he found himself caught in a net.

'- not awesome.'

He then heard a familiar laugh.

"I've got you now, twerp." said a familiar female voice.

* * *

**These first couple of chapters are just setting the stage. The plot will actually begin in another chapter or two. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, thanks for the reviews, guys. Here's chapter 3!**

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

* * *

"text" is spoken language  
'text' is thoughts  
_"text"_ is translated Pokéspeech

* * *

A New Era, Chapter 3

* * *

The owner of the familiar voice stepped out behind a clearing. Jessie, holding a still-smoking bazooka in her hand, was there, laughing at him.

"_Team Rocket!"_ Ash said. 'Just when this day couldn't get any worse…'

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?"

There was no response. Jessie fell backwards. Ash sweatdropped.

"James! Meowth! Where are you?"

"We're coming, Jess…" James said. "But we're tired."

"And hungry." Meowth said.

Jessie thwacked her partners with the bazooka. "Don't you two have better things to think about other than food and sleep? Besides, I already got the twerp. He's right here."

"_Can't you guys just leave me alone for once?"_

"Um, Jessie?" James said. "Are you sure that this Pikachu is the twerp? He's speaking in Pikachu language, not English."

"It's him." Meowth said. "He said dat he wanted us to leave him alone for once. And besides, his voice is not of the Pikachu that we all know and love."

"_Let me out!"_ Ash yelled. He tried to bite the net, but it was too strong to bite through.

"Sorry, twerp," Meowth said, "but dis net is made with an extra-strength metal alloy that I can't even pronounce – so you can't bite through it. And don't think about thunderboltin either."

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?"  
"It's speaking to me, loud and clear."

"_Not now!"_ said Ash.

"Quit yappin." said Meowth. "Nobody interrupts da Team Rocket Super Motto."

'Super Motto? Oh, for crying out loud…'

"Floating on the wind!"  
"Past the stars!"  
"In your ears!"  
"It tells us that you need to prepare for trouble!"  
"It also says to make it double!"  
"An evil as old as the galaxy!"  
"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!"  
"To protect the world from devastation."  
"To unite all peoples within our nation."  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."  
"To extend our reach to the stars above."  
"Jessie! Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace!"  
"James! Dashing hope, putting fear in its place!"  
"Meowth! Now dat's a name!"  
"Wherever there's peace in the universe,  
"Team Rocket,"  
"Putting the do-gooders in their place at the speed of light,"  
"Will be in your face…"  
"To make everything worse!"  
"And when everything's worse, our work is complete. So surrender now or prepare to fight."  
"Dat's right."  
"Wobba-Wobba!"

Ash yawned, causing the trio to fall backwards. _"You done yet? Combining three boring mottos into one doesn't make it more exciting or super. If anything, that just makes it even more boring."_

"We didn't ask for your opinion, twerp!" Meowth said. "Let's just give him to da boss, ok?"

"We'll finally get that promotion!" Jessie squealed.

"_Why did you choose to go after me instead of Pikachu?"_

"Because," said Meowth, "your Pikachu is strong, but you are weak. So, we thought it would be much simpler to catch you and bring you to da boss. And besides, you are a human-turned-Pikachu, which makes you even more valuable."

"_You actually thought? Wow. I'm impressed."_

"Quiet, you! James! Jessie! Let's go."

"Agreed." the two Rockets said, picking up Ash.

"Blaziken, Go!" "Empoleon – help Blaziken!"

"Huh? What was…" said the Rockets. At that moment, two Pokémon smashed into Jessie and James, causing them to drop Ash.

One of them picked up Ash, still in the net, and brought him to its trainer.

"Nice job." May said to the Blaziken by her side. "How are you feeling, Ash?"

"_I've felt better."_

"Um...Ash?" Misty said. "Can't you talk English anymore?"

"Oh – sorry." Ash said, a little embarrassed. "It turns out I can speak like a Pikachu now."

"So we heard." Dawn said.

"Misty, May, Dawn – do you three have any Pokémon that can get me out of this net without hurting me?"

"Hey!" Max said. "Don't forget about me! Go, Venusaur!" Max threw a Pokéball, and the plant Pokémon emerged. "Use Razor Leaf on that net!"

"Um, Max - didn't the words "without hurting me" register in your mind?" Ash said - but too late for the Venusaur to stop the attack. Fortunately for Ash, the leaves managed to rip a portion of the net while barely missing Ash.

"That was too close for comfort, but at least I'm out. Thanks." Ash said. "Now lets deal with Team Rocket."

"Right." The others agreed.

"Hold it right there, twerps! Seviper, go!" Jessie commanded, throwing its Pokéball.

"Go, Carnivine! Attack!" James threw a Pokéball as well. "Ack! Not me, them!"

The twerps just smiled. "Blaziken! Fire Blast!" "Empoleon, use Hydro Pump!" "Venusaur! Solar Beam!" "Go Starmie! Use Hyper Beam!" As the four Pokémon charged up their attacks, Ash decided to join in by using his Thundershock.

"Wobbufet! Do something!" said Jessie.

"Wobba!" Wobbufet started to glow. However, the attacks still hit him and the Rockets, making a large explosion. Once again, the Rockets went airborne.

"What? Why didn't that work?" Jessie said, irritated.

"That's because Wobbufet used Counter…" James said.

"What? Why I oughta –"

"Jessie! Wait! You specifically told Wobbufet to do something, and he did. Don't punish him for that."

"Shut up." Meowth said. "Aren't we forgettin somethin?"

"Oh yeah…right. We're blasting off again!" -ping-

"Hey Ash." Misty said. "I didn't know you could use electric attacks already."

"Yeah...it's something that came about while I was trying to escape my captor." Ash said. "Hey – where's Pikachu? Not to mention Gary, Brock, my mom, and Professor Oak."

"Katherine left the arena with Pikachu in her hands," May said. "Gary, Brock, your mother and Oak followed her, but we don't know whether they've succeeded or not."

"All right. I just hope Pikachu's ok…"

* * *

"Curtis! Curtis, I'm back."

"Ah, Katherine, you've returned. How goes the search?"

"I'll tell you." Katherine said, as she set Pikachu down on a table.

"Where did you get the Pikachu?"

"I'll explain that to you in a moment."

Pikachu spoke up. "Pikapi! Kachu pikapi pichu? Chu pika?"

"What is it, Pikachu?" Katherine said. "You still worried about your trainer?" Pikachu nodded. "Don't worry, Pikachu. Curtis will bring him here."

"I will?"

"Yes, you will. And don't give me that tone of voice, honey."

Pikachu sweatdropped. '_Just like Ash and Misty back in the day…'_

"Now, as I was about to say, I have found the identity of the One." Katherine said, as she reached into her bag and held up a picture of a still-human Ash.

"Are you sure that he's the One?" Curtis said, taking the picture. "He looks so young…"

"Don't underestimate him just because he looks young." Katherine reached back into her bag and took out several newspapers depicting some of Ash's heroic feats. "Ash has saved the world countless times, believe it or not – which I can't explain to you at the moment because we don't have time."

"What do you mean, Katherine?"

"Three things. First, when the Master did his spell on Ash, there was a little side effect. It turned the One into a Pikachu–"

"Wait – are you saying that Pikachu over there is the One?"

"Oh, no – this is the One's loyal companion, who has traveled with him through thick and thin for a long time."

Pikachu couldn't help but smile a little after hearing Katherine refer to him like that. Katherine held up another picture – this one of Ash in his Pikachu form. "This is what he looks like now."

Curtis held the two photos next to each other. "I see…several features remain similar between the two shots despite the transformation. So what was the other things you were trying to tell me?"

"The second issue is that the Master decided to transform him right in the middle of the stadium we were battling in."

"But why? That makes no sense for him to do that."

"We cannot question the Master's plans – he surely wouldn't have done it without reason."

"I suppose you're right."

"Now, the third issue is that Ash, while trying to escape with this Pikachu, managed to get himself captured."

"Oh, that's just great." Curtis said while rolling his eyes. "And I presume you want me to find out his location?"

"Of course. And besides, the Master will help you search."

"I search? What happened to we search? And why can't we just–"

"Nonono!" Katherine hissed, covering Curtis's mouth. "You know you aren't allowed to talk about that in the Master's chambers."

"Pi?" Pikachu said, confused.

"Now, go and bring him here by any means necessary." Katherine ordered.

"Yes, dear."

'_I have a bad feeling about this.'_ Pikachu thought to himself.

* * *

Ash talked with Max and the girls about what everything that happened after he got captured – except for his dream. He didn't feel like telling them just yet.

"Wow…it's amazing that you're in as good of a condition as you are." Misty said.

"I'll say." Max said.

"How did you guys find me?" Ash said.

"We followed that mob that you were talking about." May said. "One of the members mentioned that they were after the trainer that had captured you. We saw you on a roof for a brief period before you dashed into the forest. We followed you inside, and found you with Team Rocket."

"I have to say, we got pretty lucky there." Dawn said.

"Where are we?" mentioned Ash.

"We're not far from Viridian City." Misty said. She looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. We'll have to spend the night there - we'll be back in Pallet tomorrow, Ash."

"Good." Ash said. "I thought this day would never end."

"Tell me about it." said Dawn.

After an hour or so, the group found themselves in Viridian City. They stopped at the Pokémon Center.

"Welcome to the Viridian City Pokémon Center!" said Nurse Joy. "May I take your Pokémon?"

Ash froze. 'This is a hospital!' He had always hated hospitals when he was younger. Ash tried to escape Joy's grasp as she picked him up.

"Huh? This Pikachu doesn't seem to like Pokémon Centers!" Joy said.

"Um…we just caught this Pikachu earlier today," Misty said. "He…uh…doesn't really know what to expect here."

May, Dawn and Max rapidly nodded their heads in approval.

"Ok then." Joy said. "Don't worry, Pikachu. You're going to be fine."

Joy led Ash to a large, cylindrical-shaped chamber and placed him inside. "You just stay right here for a few moments, ok?"

Ash nodded. The door to the cylinder closed, and Ash noticed a white mist coming from the walls. Ash was a little worried – but as the mist approached him, he found himself rejuvenated. The mist gradually faded and the door opened again.

"There we are. All done!"

'That wasn't bad at all!' Ash thought. He smiled at Joy.

"For being such a good little Pikachu, here. Take one." Joy held out several Pokéblocks. Ash took a yellow one and popped it into his mouth. He found the taste a bit strong for his liking. 'So that's what a Pokéblock tastes like…'

Ash and company rented a room in the Center to spend to night. Ash couldn't sleep, however. He started to cry as he contemplated the day's events. Misty, who hadn't fallen asleep yet, overheard his cries and went over to him.

"Are you ok, Ash?" Misty said.

"Not really." Ash said. "A lot has happened today…and all I want right now are answers."

"Tell me everything, Ash. You can trust me."

Ash hesitated for a bit. He then decided that it was all right to tell Misty about his dream. As he told her, Misty's eyes started to widen, while Ash started to cry again.

"That's terrible…" Misty said, feeling sad for the boy-turned-mouse. She picked him up and placed him on her bed. Misty started to pet him. Ash stopped crying and perked up a bit, unsure of the new situation he found himself in. Ash couldn't help himself but speak a "Cha" of satisfaction as Misty continued to pet him.

'I know that he's technically a human,' Misty thought to herself, 'but he's a Pokémon now. It must be really hard on the poor kid.'

The two of them fell asleep. While Misty fell asleep peacefully, Ash discovered he was back in his dream again. He found himself once again in a burning city - although this time, he realized he was in Saffron and not Pallet. In addition, he found himself unable to control his body. Ash could only watch as he marched through the burning remains of the once magnificent city. He continued to walk until he reached a spot not far from the city limits. He noticed that the same Pikachu from his earlier dream was there, and this time, he was with human prisoners, each tied up to a tree. 'They're still alive…'

"_Ah, you've arrived, General."_ The Pikachu said. _"The prisoners are ready. Execute them."_

Ash tried to say to the Pikachu that he couldn't – but his body wouldn't listen to him. He started walking again, until he was facing one of the prisoners. Ash opened his mouth. Before Ash could wonder what his body was doing, he noticed that there was an orange glow coming from his mouth, gaining in intensity. The prisoner's eyes opened wide, and begged Ash to stop. Ash suddenly felt his mind splitting in two – one half wanted to stop the attack and save the prisoner, while the other wanted to kill him. Ash couldn't think about it for much longer, as a large orange beam shot out from his mouth directly at the prisoner.

Ash awoke with a start. 'It's even worse than before…' He walked over to the window and opened it.

"Why…" He muttered slowly to himself.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes. He noticed a silhouette stand up and face him. Ash took a step back and began to charge up his electricity, feeble as it was.

"_Whoa, Whoa…hold up there, Ash."_ The silhouette said.

"_How do you know my name?"_ Ash said.

The silhouette stepped out of the bushes and revealed itself to be a Raichu. "_I know of your predicament,"_ the Raichu said. _"You wish to know why you transformed, and why all these events are happening to you."_

"_How…how do you know all this?"_ Ash said.

The Raichu smirked. _"I have my sources."_

"_Why should I trust you, after everything that has happened to me today?"_

"_I do not wish to harm you."_ The Raichu extended a paw towards Ash. _"Come with me, and I'll tell you the answers to your questions."_

Ash paused for a moment. He didn't really know what to do. He looked back at the girls and Max, who were still asleep. He looked at the Raichu again, with his paw still extended. After about a minute or so of thinking, he decided to jump out of the window towards the Raichu.

"_Thank you, Ash. You've saved us a great deal of trouble."_

Ash as about to ask the Raichu what he meant by that, when suddenly another silhouette emerged right next to the Raichu. Ash thought the silhouette looked familiar, but before he could tell what it was, the silhouette was started to glow pink. Then, the three of them disappeared.

* * *

**Ok...so i kinda lied. The plot will actually begin next chapter. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally. Chapter 4 is up.**

**Sorry about the late update - schoolwork takes a lot out of me. Having a research paper due the period directly preceding a huge test is not fun.**

**Anyway, thanks again for the reviews - and patience.**

* * *

**Author's note: I do not own ****Pokémon.**

* * *

"text" is spoken language  
'text' is thoughts  
"_text"_ is translated Pokéspeech

* * *

A New Era, Chapter 4

* * *

The next morning, at the Pokémon center, Misty was the first to wake up. She yawned as she sat up in her bed. To her surprise, she could not find Ash. She began to frantically look around for the boy.

"Ash?" Misty said. "Ash! ASH! Where are you?"

May, Dawn and Max woke up from Misty's yelling. "What's going on, Misty?" Max said.

"Ash isn't here!" Misty said.

"What? Where did he go?" May said.

Misty then noticed that the window was open. "The window's open! Someone must have kidnapped him again…" She approached the window. "And I don't see any footprints around..."

Everyone sighed. Dawn spoke up: "This is getting really annoying, not just to us, but also to Ash."

May then noticed the day's paper on the ground. She picked it up and began to read it. "No wonder everyone wants Ash so much. Look." She showed the paper to the others. The front page was exclusively about Ash and his transformation. Two pictures – one of Ash in human form, and one of Ash as a Pikachu – took up more than half of the page. There was also a notice telling readers to report sightings of Ash, with a considerable cash reward if he was indeed found.

"This is bad." Misty said.

"So what do we do now?" Max said.

"Shouldn't we call the police or something?" Dawn said. "I'm sure they'll help us."

"I don't think so, Dawn." May said, as she held up the paper again. "Everyone wants to look for him - people like Thomas may call the police and claim Ash as their own. The police may think that we are among those people."

The four of them sighed. Dejectedly, they checked out of the Pokémon Center and began to walk towards Pallet. The trip was uneventful at first, as the four of them could not bring themselves to talk to each other. In addition, they didn't encounter much wild Pokémon, only a few Pidgey and Rattata. The four of them approached a river.

"I remember this place..." Misty said. "This was the spot where I first met Ash."

"Here?" Dawn said.

"Yes...I was fishing around that spot over there, when all of a sudden, I fished Ash and his unconscious Pikachu out of the water."

"I don't believe you." May said.

"I'm telling the truth! Ask Ash when we get him back! Anyway, I began to wonder what he was doing in the water, when I noticed a flock of Spearows quickly approaching him. He then jumped on my bike and pedaled off. I ran after him, trying desperately to get my bike back. Then, after seeing a huge flash of light, I noticed a fried bike lying down on the side of the road."

"Really? Pikachu made my bike extra-crispy as well." Dawn said.

"No way! Pikachu barbecued your bikes too?" May said.

Misty looked a little stunned. "Well, it's one more thing to bug him about."

They continued their trek toward Pallet Town. All of a sudden, they noticed a Honchkrow coming towards them.

"What's a Honchkrow doing here?" Dawn said.

Upon seeing the 4 travellers, the bird swooped down towards their location, but stopped just before it reached them. It cawed a few times, and then went back from whence it came.

"That was strange..." Max said. "I've never seen a Honchkrow act like that."

"Yeah...you're right." May said.

"Wait a minute..." Misty said. She seemed deep in thought.

"What is it, Misty?" Max said.

"Something about that Honchkrow seems a bit familiar..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember when I told you guys about Lily? Well, she had a Murkrow with her. And by the way that it looked at me, I think it recognized me...so I believe that Lily's nearby."

The Honchkrow returned to the four travellers and hovered about a few feet away from them.

"I think it wants us to follow." Dawn said.

The Honchkrow led the group towards Pallet. As the town came into view, the bird began to pick up speed. The group had to run in order to catch up with it. As they approached Professor Oak's laboratory, they saw a woman dressed like a witch, with the Honchkrow by her side.

"That's her."

The Honchkrow lifted a wing and pointed it at Misty. The woman looked up, noticed the group, and mentioned for them to come over.

"Hey Lily. Long time no see." Misty said.

"Ah, Misty, it's nice to see you again." Lily said. "Who are your new friends?"

"I'm May."

"I'm May's younger brother, Max."

"And I'm Dawn."

"Nice to meet you." The three of them said at the same time.

"Nice to meet you too." Lily said. Her face then became serious. "I already know of Ash's predicament, and what happened with him and his Pikachu. I don't see Ash with you..."

"We had him..." May said, "up until last night. Someone must have kidnapped him, for we wasn't with us this morning."

"What brings you to Pallet, Lily?" Misty said.

"I'm trying to find Katherine." Lily said. "When I saw her leave the stadium with Ash's Pikachu, I tried to follow her. However, she disappeared soon after she reached the forest. That's when I met with Professor Oak. He and the other three people with him explained that they were after the Pikachu. I decided to help them search for Ash's Pikachu - since doing so would help me find Katherine."

"How are you going to figure out Katherine's location?" Dawn said. "I mean, she teleported. She could be anywhere."

"I used a spell to figure out where she teleported to. She is now somewhere near the Seafoam Islands."

"If you know where she teleported to, then why couldn't you teleport to her location?"

"The previous spell used up some of my reagents, and I ran out of a key ingredient needed for the teleportation spell. Oak told me that Pallet Town was en route to the islands, so we spent the night here. We were going to leave this morning via Oak's boat, but it didn't have any gas. So, we've been waiting here for Oak's son to return with the fuel." She paused for a few seconds. "I just hope that Katherine's all right..."

"Why do you want to get to Katherine so badly?" Misty said.

"Because..." Lily said. "She's my sister."

* * *

_"Wake up!"_

The Raichu went over to Ash's sleeping body and shoved him. Ash woke up, silently cursing at the Raichu for ruining one of the best nights that he had in a long time. As Ash looked around the new room that he found himself in, he noticed that he was in a bed that was suitable for royalty. Then, he saw that the Raichu was off to his left; a look of annoyance was on his face.

"_It's about time you got up, Ash__. Follow me."_ The Raichu said.

"_Where are we?"_ Ash said, getting out of the bed.

The Raichu didn't answer. He walked up to a door, and as he approached it, it automatically opened.

_"I wish to show you the answers, but you must come with me."_ The Raichu said.

Ash reluctantly agreed, and followed the Raichu out of the room. He was still quite tired, as he stumbled a few times. The two walked down a long and opulent hallway, filled with vast quantities of jewelry and paintings. 'Wow...this is a really nice place to live...I'd probably get lost here really quickly.' Ash thought to himself.

They continued to walk until they reached the end of the hallway. In front of them was another door, much larger than the other doors that he had seen. It opened when the Raichu approached it.

"_Wait here."_ The Raichu said. He went through the door, and then it closed.

Ash started to feel a little bit nervous about what was going to happen next. He thought about what the Raichu doing in the room, and what the Raichu would do upon his return. All of a sudden, Ash thought he could hear voices coming from the room. He placed his head on the wall next to the door. Using his enhanced Pikachu hearing abilities, he could make out a conversation, albeit faint.

"Um…why are you a Raichu, Curtis?" said a woman's voice. Ash thought the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't figure out whose voice it was.

"Because..." said a man's voice. Ash recognized it as the Raichu's, but it was now speaking in English. "Well, the Master gave me this form so that I could better coerce the One to come with me."

'Wait, what? That Raichu is a human-turned-Pokémon as well?' Ash thought.

"I see." The female said. "So, you have him? In that case, bring him in."

"Yes, dear."

Ash realized that the Raichu was coming over, so he quickly sat down and began to act bored. The door opened again.

"_You can enter now."_

Ash entered the room. It was even bigger than the first room he was in - it looked like a throne room. He noticed a woman sitting down in a golden chair in front of him, with Curtis the Raichu off to her side.

"Ash." The woman said.

"Katherine."

"_Ash!"_

"Pikachu?" As Ash said that, he found himself steamrolled by a yellow blur. Looking up, he saw his best friend looking at him, smiling happily and licking him. Ash smiled as well. "I'm glad that you're all right, Pikachu."

"_Me too, Ash."_ Pikachu said. _"Me too."_

It took about 30 seconds, but Ash managed to push his companion off of him. When he did, he got up and looked back at Katherine with rage in his eyes. "Why did you do this to me? I had a wonderful life – I was a Pokémon master, I had wonderful friends, I had everything – UNTIL YOU RUINED IT!" Ash yelled. He could feel sparks surging from his cheeks.

"Calm down, Ash." Katherine said. "I was not the one who did this to you. It was the Master –"

"WHO IS THIS MASTER OF YOURS?" Ash screamed. "I WANT A WORD WITH HIM!"

_"Ash! Stop it!"_ Pikachu said.

"I'll bring you to the Master shortly." Katherine said. "Now, we -"

"There's no need for that."

Ash and Pikachu looked around the room, wondering where this new voice was coming from.

"The Master's here…" Katherine said.

A pink blob materialized between the two groups. Ash growled, as he recognized it as the same blob that transformed him into a Pikachu. However, this time, the blob expanded and dissipated. Where the blob had been, there was now a small, pink, cat-like creature. Ash's eyes widened.

"M-Mew?"

It nodded and floated down in front of Ash.

"I apologize for not revealing myself to you earlier."


	5. Chapter 5

**Once again, thanks for the reviews, patience, and support. I really appreciate it.**

**Again, sorry about the late update. Schoolwork isn't really cooperating with me.**

**Don't worry, I haven't abandoned this fic.**

* * *

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

* * *

"text" is spoken language  
'text' is thoughts  
_"text"_ is translated pokéspeech

* * *

A New Era, Chapter 5

* * *

Mew floated directly in front of Ash. Ash looked up Mew and took a step back. He was quite surprised that Mew was in fact the Master, and that Mew was the one who turned him into a Pikachu. Ash was also a bit disturbed that Mew was frowning at him.

"WHY DID YOU RUIN MY LIFE?!" Ash yelled.

"I didn't ruin your life, Ash." Mew calmly stated. "I saved it."

"Saved it? But how?"

"A new evil has risen, and –"

"Oh, not again…tell me, other than the fact that I'm now a Pikachu, how this is different from –"

"SHUT UP!!" Mew screamed.

Ash backed even farther away from Mew. 'This is definitely not like the same Mew that I've seen before...' Ash thought to himself.

Mew sighed. "I know what you are thinking. I am, in fact, the same Mew that you've encountered in your previous journeys. However, I am no longer in the mood for jokes or laughter. This is serious, Ash. The fact is, a new evil has come to this world, and it is unlike anything I have ever seen before."

"Why am I here, and why did you have to transform me into a Pikachu?" Ash said.

"I-I'll get to that." Mew said a bit nervously. "But first, I must inform you what this evil is."

"Well then, what is it?"

"I first encountered it a few days ago, as I was going to visit the elders, a group of wise Pokémon that watch over the other Pokémon in the region. As I approached the entrance to the cave where they resided, I noticed one of the elders approaching me. Something seemed odd about the Charizard that was heading my way – but I attributed it to the fact that I hadn't visited the area in a long time."

"So, what happened?"

"I'll tell you…"

* * *

-Flashback-

-Mew's POV-

_"It's been too long, Zarn."_ I said._ "What happened since my last visit?"_

Zarn didn't respond. Instead, he launched a Fire Blast at my face. I wasn't prepared for this, so blast hit me head-on. I stayed afloat, but barely.

_"Zarn, why did you do that?"_

Again, Zarn didn't respond immediately. I prepared a Light Screen in case he tried to attack me again.

_"Betrayer."_ Zarn spoke.

I floated back a little bit, surprised at what Zarn had said. _"What are you talking about, Zarn? And why are you calling me a betrayer?"_

_"Because you help the humans._ Y_ou know what they have done. They beat us, they use us for their own personal gains, and they even kill us!"_

_"Wha...? You've never talked about the humans like this before!"_

_"The humans have committed crimes against us Pokémon. And for that, they must die."_

_"Zarn, although I agree with you that some humans deserve to be punished, killing all of them is not the answer!"_

_"So, you're siding with the humans? That means you must die as well."_

Zarn launched another Fire Blast at me. I dodged it, and sighed at Zarn.

_"I don't want to do this, Zarn...b__ut this is for your own good."_

I concentrated and unleashed a Psychic attack on Zarn. To my surprise, Zarn was unaffected by the attack. Zarn laughed. I cringed, for the voice that I heard was not the one I had come to know so well. Realizing that he was distracted, I teleported behind him and fired a Hydro Pump at his backside before he could react. Zarn fell to the ground, knocked out.

'He was a good friend...' I thought to myself.

I made my way towards the cave to see if the other elders were all right. Before I reached the cave, however, I heard more laughter coming from behind me. I turned around and saw Zarn back on his feet. However, I noticed that Zarn's skin, eyes, and the fire on his tail seemed much darker than before. He shot yet another Fire Blast at me - but this time, the flames were pitch black instead of the normal reddish-orange. I threw up a Light Screen - but the attack went right through the barrier, as though it wasn't even there. As the blast hit me, I felt pain course through my body - a type of pain that I had not experienced for a long time. As I fell to the ground, I looked back at Zarn, who was now surrounded by a shadowy aura.

_"Why..."_ was all I was able to say.

All of a sudden, a beam of dark energy shot out of Zarn's body and landed directly in front of me. Zarn fell down to the ground again as the dark energy coalesced into a black, ghostly form. I could tell that it wasn't a Darkrai, as it was shaped like a human. It started to laugh.

"So, Mew," it said, in the human tongue, "we meet at last."

"Who...What are you?" I weakly muttered out.

It grinned. "I am your worst nightmare."

I tried to make my way towards the cave to try and get the other elders to help me. However, I was in too much pain to move. The ghostly form noticed me trying to move and began to laugh again.

"Don't bother trying to get the other elders, Mew." the ghost said. "We already have all of them under our control. And now, you will join them."

Then, the ghost began to form something in its hands; it was some form of dark energy, but I couldn't figure out exactly what it was. I closed my eyes as I braced for impact, knowing that I wouldn't be able to create anything that would block or deflect the attack, and I was still in too much pain to move. All of a sudden, I heard the ghost screaming out in pain. As I opened my eyes, I saw Zarn using a Flamethrower at the ghost.

_"Mew! Get out of here!_" Zarn said in his normal voice. _"It's too dangerous! I'll hold this fiend off!"_

I nodded, thanked Zarn, and tried to teleport away. It took me a bit longer than usual because of my injuries, but eventually I succeeded.

* * *

-End flashback-

-Normal POV-

"So let me get this straight..." Ash began. "This new evil wants to kill humans, and they can also control Pokémon to do their bidding. Right?"

Mew nodded.

"Well, this is certainly different...all the evil forces that I - I mean, we - have encountered so far have targeted Pokémon, not humans."

Ash began to think about all his friends - about Misty, Brock, his mother, and everyone that he had met since he began his journey. A tear fell from his eye.

"So, why did you turn me into a Pikachu?"

Mew sighed again. Then, it made several gestures that seemed, to Ash, like Mew did not want to answer his question.

"Ash, I'll tell you," Mew said, after a few seconds of awkward silence. "However, I have a feeling that you are not going to like what I am about to say. Basically, your transformation into a Pikachu..." Mew took a deep breath. "...was nothing more than an unfortunate side-effect."

"A WHAT?" Ash blurted out.

"Yes..." Mew said. "The beam I fired on you in the stadium was only supposed to protect you from being controlled yourself. Yes, humans can be controlled as well - since they are, in general, not as strong-minded as Pokémon. As for your transformation...I don't know exactly what caused it. And without knowing exactly how you transformed, I can't change you back."

Ash drooped down. He sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be back as a human anytime soon. Pikachu came over and tried to calm him.

"You know what they are capable of doing." Mew continued. "Soon after your transformation, they took control of several humans. These humans were the ones that jumped into the stadium and tried to catch you. The one that did capture you was no exception."

"That explains some of their behavior..." Ash muttered to himself. "They tried to kill me..."

Ash thought about what Thomas had tried to do to him. He cringed when he brought up the memories, especially when Thomas had tried to kill him.

_"What? Why would they try to kill my Ash?"_ Pikachu asked, as he had heard his trainers latest words.

Mew shook its head. "That's something that I wish to know myself."

"How do you not know?" Ash said.

Mew scowled at him. "Even I have limitations, young one. The actions of our new enemy are shrouded in mystery...again, all we know is that they can control the minds of others, and they plan to launch an attack on humankind."

The room fell into silence for about a minute or so. Then, Ash spoke up.

"So, how are we supposed to defeat them? If you couldn't do it, then what will?"

Mew shifted its gaze over to Katherine. "A defector..."

* * *

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the group, a man was standing on a ledge outside of one of the windows, spying on their conversation. He was large, burly, and had long, smooth black hair. The man then picked up a cell phone and began to dial a number. He put the phone up to his ear.

"10...25...61...22." the man said quietly into the phone. He then waited a few more seconds.

"Hey boss? Yeah, it's me. I found...what? What do you mean you're busy? I have important news! I'm trying to tell you that I've figured out Mew's location, and...excuse me? You already know? How...huh? What about this Pikachu?...Which one?...The one with the hat?...Ok, but what is so special about this particular Pikachu?...He has WHAT? Interesting...Oh, one more thing - one of our own is with the pesky cat, and...huh? What the...oh my...well, sorry to have interrupted you, boss, and thanks for the new information."

The man put the phone away. He seemed like he was in a state of shock.

"Well, this is certainly going to get interesting." The man muttered to himself as he continued watching.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ugh. This past couple of weeks have been nothing but hell to me. Lots of homework, a car accident, and the like.**

**Finals start this week. After that, I'll be free for nearly an entire month. Yay!**

* * *

**Author's note: I do not own Pokémon.**

**I do, however, own my OC's.**

* * *

"text" is spoken language  
'text' is thoughts  
_"text" _is translated pokéspeech

* * *

A New Era, Chapter 6

* * *

"Katherine?" Ash said. "You were one of them?"

"Yes and no." Katherine replied. "Twenty years ago, I had joined a team of scientists known as the Expedition. Their purpose was to solve the greatest mysteries of the world. At the time, the Expedition was one of the most respected organizations on the planet. I was able to combine my magic and their scientific instruments to help with many of the discoveries they had unearthed."

"Magic? Did you say magic?"

"Yes, I did. You've already met my twin sister, Lily – she told me interesting things about you, especially the fact that she turned you into a Pikachu once before."

Ash chose to remain silent about her newest revelation.

"Anyway," Katherine continued, "I quickly rose in rank until I was among their top scientists, and for the next twenty years, I gained fame and fortune through the organization's discoveries. Soon after I joined, I met Curtis..."

A tear fell from Katherine's eye. "Those were the best years of my life..." She paused for a second to wipe off the tear.

"Unfortunately, everything changed about two weeks ago, when we uncovered an ancient tablet. I had done research about that particular tablet several years prior, so I knew all about it, including the curse that went with it. I tried to convince the others to not remove it from its sacred resting place, but they just laughed at me. A few days later, they presented the tablet to the boss himself, despite my protests. As the boss translated the tablet and read its words, the curse began to take effect. Although the tablet did grant the boss knowledge beyond his wildest dreams, he began to see all other humans as inferior to himself. Thus, he decreed that anyone who didn't do what he ordered was to be brutally punished, enslaved, or both. He then used me as an example..."

Katherine rolled up the bottom part of her shirt, exposing three deep, black scars across her belly.

"I was lucky to survive his brutal attack. After talking with Curtis that night, we decided to not return the next day. It was a good thing we left right then, for the following day, there was a massive explosion at the Expedition headquarters. We presumed that everyone inside had died…but then reporters said that they saw a black, ghostly creature emerging from the scene of the explosion. It reportedly fled into the forests…

"Several days after that, we saw Mew lying in the middle of a field, obviously hurt. Mew told us its story, after which we told it that we could be of help. At first, Mew was skeptical, especially after we revealed that we were once a part of the Expedition. But Mew allowed us to help after we told it that we had not joined with the boss. Mew then told me that we needed to help it find the One. At first, none of us had any idea where to begin - until Mew remembered about you. Over the next day or two, the three of us formulated up a plan to determine whether you were actually the One or not. We then put it into action, and with some help from my magic, I was able to bypass the Elite Four and challenge you directly. I then made it seem that I had already beaten them, so there wouldn't be any suspicions. And finally, during our fight, I presented you with the tests - both of which you passed."

"Wait, you cheated?" Ash said.

"Yes. I did. But that's not important now."

Ash just glared at Katherine. Then, he realized something. "You never explained to me how he was able to control minds."

"Well, um, I don't know much about it, but before I left the Expedition, yet after the curse had already taken its effect, I heard the boss talking about some sort of mind-control technique with one of my fellow co-workers...look, I don't really know how it happened, all right? All I know is that the leader of the Expedition has vast knowledge, perhaps even greater than Mew here, and has the ability to control minds. And I fear that he is after you, Ash, because of who you are and what you have done in the past."

"Hold on a second...when Mew told us its story, the ghost had said that it had everything under their control. So, there has to be at least one more person who had become like your boss."

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED, ALL RIGHT?" Katherine shouted. "He may have forced or chosen others to read the tablet with him, as whoever reads the tablet would suffer the same fate."

After a minute or so of awkward silence, Mew spoke up.

"There is an ancient story that states that long ago, evil arose that threatened to wipe out the human race. When all hope seemed lost, One rose out of insignificance and, through hardship, pain and suffering, united the two races with the help of his Guardians, and was able to thrust the evil back from whence it came."

"Mew..." Ash said. "what's the point in telling a story now? I thought you said you were serious about our current situation."

"Believe it or not, this story is relevant to our current situation, Ash, because-"

"How?"

"History is about to repeat itself..."

_"I've never heard of this before..."_ Pikachu said. _"And I know more about ancient stories and prophecies than the average Pokémon. So, why haven't I heard of this one?"_

"Notice the key words 'through hardship, pain and suffering', young one." Mew said. "Most of the stories you have heard about involve the hero defeating the villain without too much problems. Unfortunately...this one is not like that at all. Even if Ash succeeds, he will still have to deal with struggles that could change his life, and the lives of every human on the planet, forever. That is why you probably have not heard of this - no one wants to remember or glorify such a dark tale."

At this, the powder keg that was Ash Ketchum exploded.

"I'VE HAD IT!" Ash screamed. "WHY HAS THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS BEEN NOTHING BUT DOOM AND GLOOM FOR ME???"

Ash's cheeks began to spark.

"Ash..." Mew said.

"YOU! YOU HAVE NOT BEEN HELPING MATTERS AT ALL! I JUST WANT TO BE BACK HOME, IN MY BED, AND AWAKE FROM THIS NIGHTMARE!!"

Ash fired his electricity directly towards Mew. Mew sighed, and effortlessly dodged the attack. Then, Mew floated up to Ash whacked him with its tail.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"This is not a dream, Ash." Mew said. "This is very real."

Ash just sighed.

* * *

Meanwhile, a motorboat was beginning to approach the island that Ash, Katherine, and the others were located. It was a relatively small boat, and at first glance, it did not seem like it would be able to fit too many people. Yet, inside the raft were nine people; Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Brock, Deliah, Professor Oak, Gary, and Lily were all inside. It was also going abnormally fast for such a small boat, but the group somehow did not seem to notice the extreme speed.

"I still don't know how we all managed to fit on the boat." Brock said. "With this many people on it, its no wonder the boat hasn't sunk yet."

"Don't underestimate the powers of my magic." Lily said. "Even though I am a Pokémon magician, I still know quite a number of spells that do not involve Pokémon. These include making a small boat capable of holding a great number of people, allowing said boat to travel in excess of 200 kilometers an hour without the occupants feeling any different than if it was going at 50, and -"

"Ok, ok, I get it."

After a few more minutes, an island began to appear directly ahead of them.

"Land ho!" Max exclaimed.

The others looked to the front of the boat. Sure enough, they saw an island, now not too far from their location. It seemed like any other old island, except it had a large mansion on top of it.

"Wow! That place is huge!" Dawn said.

"A private island, and a huge mansion to boot. No doubt about it, whoever lives there is filthy stinking rich." May said.

"Is that where Katherine is?" Misty asked Lily.

Lily concentrated for a moment. She then frowned. "Yes, Katherine is there...but..."

"But what?" Misty said.

"What are you talking about?" Max said.

"I am sensing a great power coming from the place...but I don't know exactly what it is."

"Is it a Pokémon?" Professor Oak said.

"I think so...but I'm not sure..."

"Cool! An ultra-powerful Pokémon! I gotta get my hands on it!"

The rest of the group sweatdropped and sighed.

"Let's just head for the island." Deliah said. "I want to see Ash."

"Can't you spend one minute without thinking about him?" Misty said.

"Of course not! He's my son!"

"Enough!" Professor Oak said. "Let's just get to the island without any more distractions or needless conversations, all right?"

The others all nodded in approval. About a minute later, they approached a dock located not too far from the mansion's entrance. Then, they got out of the boat, tied it to the dock and began to walk along a nearby path. They approached the doorway to the mansion. Lily then stepped forward and pushed a button near one of the doors. A loud ringing sound could be heard coming from inside the mansion. For a few tense seconds, nothing happened. Then, unbeknownst to the group, a loudspeaker emerged from one of the small alcoves on the wall.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Max exclamined.

May turned toward her brother. "Quiet! I'm sure everything will be -"

"YOU HAVE RETURNED." A voice boomed throughout the area. Startled, everybody backed up considerably, except for Lily.

"W-Was t-that...?" Misty said.

"Yes. That was Katherine." Lily said. "Hopefully, she hasn't changed too much since the last time we met..."

"I SEE THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT SOME FRIENDS, AS WELL." Katherine's voice rang out again.

"Katherine," Lily said loudly, "we do not mean you any harm or trouble. We just want to see you, Ash and Pikachu."

There was a few moments of silence.

"Very well. Come in." Katherine's voice said, not as booming as it was before.

The large doors slowly opened with a loud creak.

"How did you...?" Dawn said.

"Even though we haven't seen each other in a long time," Lily said, "I know my sister very well. As long as you don't cause her any trouble, she won't cause you any."

The group cautiously walked inside. Once inside, the doors closed themselves automatically. No one noticed that the doors had closed, however, because everyone was too busy admiring the room they had just entered.

"Wow..." everyone said.

"I knew that Katherine was rich...but I never knew that she was this rich." Lily muttered to herself.

The room that they found themselves in was huge, and was filled with many paintings, drapery, jewelery, and all sorts of elegant baubles. The room itself looked like a large ballroom.

"If you would stop staring at my valuables for a few seconds," Katherine's voice came back in, "you'll find me and your friends upstairs."

The group then made their way up the long and magnificent looking staircase towards another door not far from the top. As they approached the door, Katherine's voice sounded again.

"Enter."


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally - finals are done with, and now I have some free time.**

**Only problem is, I might not get as much time on a computer as I would like.**

* * *

**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

**I do, however, own my OC's.**

* * *

A New Era, Chapter 7

* * *

The doors opened, allowing the group to peer inside. The first thing they noticed upon entering was that the room was just as beautiful and elegant as the room they had just left. The second thing they noticed was Katherine sitting down in a golden chair in front of them. Lily, upon seeing Katherine, rushed up to her.

"Katherine..." Lily said, "it's been too long."

"Indeed it has." Katherine said, as she stood up from her chair.

As the two of them reunited with each other, the rest of the group looked around the room for Ash and Pikachu. They didn't have to look for very long, for Ash and Pikachu ran up to them. Ash leaped up into his mother's arms, and began to cry.

"Oh, Ash..." Deliah said, as she brought him to her chest. "I'm glad you're all right. I don't care if you're a small yellow mouse, a large red lizard, or whatever; i'll love you just the same."

Ash just continued to cry into his mother's chest.

"It's nice to see you again, Ash." Brock said. "And you too, Pikachu."

"Pika pichu pikachu."

"Sorry to break up this little reunion," Katherine said, as she and Lily approached them, "but we've got a real emergency on our hands here."

"Excuse me?" Gary said. "What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to explain." said a voice.

Everyone looked up, and saw a pink blob approach them. Ash, Pikachu, Katherine and Curtis knew that it was Mew, but the others did not.

"What is that thing?" Dawn said.

"Isn't that the same blob that we saw at the stadium?" Max said. "The one that turned Ash into a Pikachu in the first place?"

"Hmm...indeed, it is. How curious." Professor Oak said.

"Now, if you'd allow me to explain..." the blob said.

"Why should we trust you?" Gary said.

"Because, if you're not going to trust me," Mew shed its disguise at this point, "then who else are you going to trust?"

Everyone except for Ash, Pikachu, Katherine and Curtis jumped back in surprise. Nobody spoke for a long time.

"What?" Mew said, after about thirty seconds of silence. "Surprised to see me?"

The group simply nodded their heads.

"Now, we do not have a lot of time to discuss matters, but we will tell you everything that we can."

Mew and Katherine then began to tell an abridged version of what they had revealed to Ash earlier. After they had finished, the group still appeared to be in a state of shock.

"Man, this is getting weirder and weirder." Misty said.

"Tell me about it." Ash replied.

"Hey, Katherine?" May said. "Where's Curtis?"

"I'm right here." Curtis said, from his position right next to Katherine.

"Wha? Your husband is a Pokémon?" Gary said.

"Yes..." Katherine said. "Last night, Mew turned him into a Raichu so that he could get Ash to come over here."

"Wait - YOU were the one who took Ash last night?" Dawn said. "Why?"

"Actually," Curtis said, "he came with me. He seemed depressed, and I told him that I would help explain his situation if he came."

"ASH, YOU LUNKHEAD!" Misty yelled. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?"

"Um...he's right..." Ash said. "I couldn't sleep, I felt depressed, and he seemed friendly. That said, it took a long time to decide whether to go with him or not."

That explanation only seemed to make Misty even angrier. Ash backed up, but quickly ran out of room. Misty unsheathed her hammer, and was about to strike, when Mew intervened.

"STOP! We have to stop Katherine's boss from eradicating humankind, and we can't do that by POINTLESS BICKERING!"

* * *

As Mew and the others continued to squabble with each other, the mysterious man on the outside of the building continued to watch the group in silence. He seemed surprised when the mass array of people came into the room, and thus he didn't know exactly what to do. He thought about calling his boss again, but he reasoned against it.

At that moment, he slipped, nearly falling off the ledge he was standing on. Cursing to himself, he slowly pulled himself back up. Panting for air, he looked into the room again. To his astonishment, he realized that the room was now empty. He started to panic. After a while of thought, he decided to call his boss. He dialed the number, spoke the password, and waited.

"Who is it?" a voice on the other side of the line said.

"It's Fred, sir." the man said. "And I have news. I've lost them! They appeared to have teleported somewhere, but I don't know where!"

"Hold your horses there, number 3. I know that they disappeared."

"You did? But how?"

"Don't ask questions. I also know where they ended up. They went to Pallet Town in the northwest. Now, go. And when you reach the town, come find me."

"Yes, sir." Fred said.

The man hung up the phone, smiled, and slowly began climbing back down to ground level. Then, after consulting a map and taking out a compass, he jumped into his boat and sped off towards Pallet Town...

* * *

...where Ash, Pikachu and the others found themselves.

"Hey, Mew," Ash said. "Thanks for allowing us to come here."

"No problem. It was clear that you needed a rest. Don't make yourself too comfortable, however - we don't know where or when Katherine's boss will strike next."

Ash and Pikachu went over to Professor Oak's laboratory. There, they saw some of Ash's old Pokémon from his previous journeys. Two of these Pokémon approached them - his Ivysaur and his Squirtle.

"_Hey, Pikachu_," Ivysaur said. "_Who's the other Pikachu with you?"_

_"He looks kind of familiar, in a way."_ Squirtle said.

_"You're not going to believe this, but..."_ Pikachu said.

_"But what?" Ivysaur said._

_"Um..."_

"Hey guys." Ash said.

Ivysaur and Squirtle backed up a bit.

_"What the...ASH?"_ Squirtle said.

"Yes...it's me."

_"What's this I hear about Ash?"_ said a voice from not too far off. The others looked around, and saw Bayleef come into view.

_"Why is Pikachu wearing Ash's hat? Wait...why are there two Pikachus?" Bayleef said._

_"Um, Bayleef?"_ Ivysaur said.

_"Yes?"_

_"This Pikachu is Ash."_

_"No way. You must be joking."_

"Um, Bayleef, he's telling the truth." Ash said.

Bayleef backed up a little bit, and then studied the Pikachu in front of her that somehow knew the human language. As she came to the face, she immediately recognized the eyes.

_"Ash?"_

Ash nodded. A big smile came across Bayleef's face. She then promptly body slammed on top of Ash, nearly crushing him.

_"Ash! It's you! It's really you! I'm really glad to see you!"_

"Yes...Bayleef...oof...I'm glad...to see...you too. Now would you...oof...please get...off of me..."

_"Oh, sorry."_ She got off.

"It's fine...only my internal organs were crushed to bits, no big deal."

Everyone laughed.

_"How did you turn into a Pikachu, Ash?"_ Squirtle said.

"It's a long story..."

* * *

Fred approached the shoreline of Pallet Town later that afternoon. He parked his boat in a secluded area, and got out.

'All right...now all I have to do is find the boss...shouldn't be too hard, right?'

At that moment, he realized something.

'Crap...I don't even know what he looks like...'

Regardless, he began searching around the town. As he approached a small house near the edge of the forest, however, he noticed a man and a woman meditating a ways into the forest. He would have dismissed it as ordinary had he not noticed the shadowy auras that seemed to be surrounding the two of them. Fred approached them carefully.

"B-Boss?" he said.

The man opened an eye. "Ah, number 3, you've made it."

"Sir...my name is not number 3; it's -"

The boss's aura intensified. Fred took a step back.

"I...uh...number 3 it is, then."

"Good." the boss said, as his aura returned to normal intensity. "Now, the reason as to why we've called you here. We want you to keep an eye on the occupants of that house over there, especially the two Pikachus. Remember what I told you about the Pikachu with the hat?"

Fred nodded.

"Once you see something like that, return to us."

"But sir..."

"Yes?"

"Why can't you two go after him?"

"Because that damn cat will sense our presence if we get any closer!"

"A-And why can't I-I just capture the two Pikachus and bring them to you?"

"Patience, number 3, patience. Everything will be revealed in due time."

Fred grumbled to himself, low enough so that neither the boss nor the woman would notice.

"Now, go." the boss said. "Do this, and we will let you read the tablet."

"Yes sir! Right away."

* * *

Inside the house, Deliah had cooked dinner for everyone inside. Ash had received some of Brock's Pokémon food, which he eyed in curiosity.

_"Just eat it already, Ash."_ Pikachu said.

Ash popped a little pellet in his mouth. Almost immediately, his eyes widened.

"Wow...this is AMAZING!"

Ash then began to shove handfuls of the food down his throat, which almost caused him to choke several times. Brock eventually had to take the food away so that Ash could not choke on it again. After dinner was finished, everyone got around and started a conversation. It was mainly focused around Lily and Katherine, as they reminisced about their past adventures and their childhood. However, Ash did not feel in participating, so he went out of the house. He went up a nearby hill and lay down in the tall grass. He remained there for about ten minutes or so, until Pikachu came by.

_"Hey, Ash."_ Pikachu said.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Pikachu." Ash replied.

_"Something bothering you?"_

"In a way, yeah."

_"What is it?"_

"Well..."

At that moment, Ash remembered about his dreams. He then began to cry again.

"Pikachu...these last couple of days have been nothing but hell to me."

_"How so?"_

"Well, the guy that captured me wanted to keep me as a pet and then fix me; Team Rocket captured me just as I escaped from him; I get confronted by a Raichu which happens to be another human-turned-Pokémon like myself - but he happens to be the wife of the trainer who challenged me in the championship battle, which she got to without defeating the Elite Four; then Mew appears and tells me that I am part of yet another prophecy - and this one is projected to bring doom to the entire human race even if I succeed in defeating this new evil; and to top it off, I have been having several dreams in which I am not just participating in a Pokémon revolt against humankind, but where I am actually LEADING it..."

Pikachu, who had been absorbing all of this information, just remained quiet for a period of time. He brought a paw on top of Ash's back. After about a minute of two, Pikachu spoke up.

_"Come on, Ash. I'll train you."_

"Train me?"

_"Yeah. You know...to help you with some of your attacks. You'll need the practice. And you heard what Mew said."_

"Hmm...I guess you're right. It's weird, though..."

_"What is?"_

"A Pokémon training its trainer. Seems kinda...different."

The two of them looked over the area and tried to find a spot decent enough for training. They found one not too far from their current location.

_"All right. So,"_ Pikachu said, _"the first and most important part of successful battling as a Pikachu is the stance. It allows us to quickly attack, dodge or whatever is needed at a moment's notice. Let me demonstrate."_

Pikachu then got into his fighting stance.

_"Now, you try."_

Ash attempted to get into the same stance that Pikachu was in.

_"No, no..."_ Pikachu said. _"Not like that."_

Pikachu then walked over to Ash and began to correct Ash's stance - adjusting his paws, his weight distribution, his legs, every single bit - until Pikachu seemed satisfied.

_"There. That's the position I want to see. Now, do it again."_

It took a couple of tries, but eventually, Ash was able to get into the stance Pikachu wanted without the mouse having to interfere.

_"Good. Now, for actual moves. Quick Attack is one of the simplest of moves to learn - all you have to do is shift your weight to your hind legs, concentrate on a target, and dash off. It's like this."_

Pikachu got into his stance, quickly ran off towards a nearby tree, and then ran back.

_"All right - your turn."_

Ash, having already done the move earlier, knew what he had to do. Still, it took a little bit of tweaking to satisfy Pikachu, but he soon was able to run to the tree, quickly stop, and then run back without assistance.

_"Very good, Ash."_ Pikachu said. _"I'm impressed with your progress thus far. In fact, it seems as though you already did that move before."_

"Actually, Pikachu, I did use Quick Attack and Thundershock earlier, when I had to escape from the guy that captured me."

_"By the way, How did you get away from him?"_

"It was actually fairly easy..."

After Ash told Pikachu about how he managed to escape from Thomas, Pikachu looked up into the sky, and noticed that it was getting dark.

_"It's getting late. Let's head in."_

Ash and Pikachu returned to the house. Not long after their return, they, along with everyone else, fell asleep.

* * *

Later that night, in the nearby forest, the boss opened his eyes. He turned to his female counterpart.

"Let's kick things up a notch, shall we?" he said.

The woman opened her eyes, looked at him and smiled wickedly.

"With pleasure."


End file.
